Ask A Genius 1549: Good Movie Dialogue: Cut Ruthlessly, Show Don’t Tell 

Rick Rosner tells Scott Douglas Jacobsen that sharp movie dialogue comes from cutting: show, don’t tell, and dodge clichés like “We’ve got company” or “Chop, chop.” Keep audiences oriented through action, not exposition. He riffs on Bond’s implausible durability and imagines alternatives—a centuries-old vampire spy, or a post–near-death Bond with OCD who grades every move—fresh premises that justify survival without speeches. Rosner cites The Accountant as adjacent but abrasive. Big franchises second-guess scripts for precision. Great actors prefer fewer, stronger lines; compress three sentences into one natural beat. Concision, novelty, and situational clarity make dialogue land and performances sing too.

Ask A Genius 1205: ‘I’m in the Writers Guild’

Rick Rosner: So, I'm in the Writers Guild and the TV Academy. That means I can vote in certain Emmy categories and for the Writers' Guild Awards. I get invited to screenings of TV shows and movies, and I can bring Carol along. Someone from the production team, or even a few people, will often …

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Ask A Genius 1203: Celebrities Notice

Rick Rosner: You should be aiming for people like Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. When celebrities have projects coming out, they’re open to interviews. You’re a seasoned interviewer with an impressive track record. If celebs become part of your regular beat, you could be known as the interviewer who asks them questions that highlight their …

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Ask A Genius 1167: More on 2085

*Interview conducted in October-November, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Let’s try 2085 onward. I’d argue for whole-brain interfaces and the construction of immersive illusions. Entire systems will be constructed, including the manipulation of emotions without the need for electrodes. It could be done through subtle manipulation using magnetic waves or other advanced methods. That’s a tough …

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Ask A Genius 1166: Technology Adoption and Sexy Choir Ladies

*Interview conducted in October-November, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What technology have you found hardest to adopt in your life? Rosner: One of the things I missed out on culturally is gaming. I’m not a gamer. I’ve never played Call of Duty or any of the popular games. My last major gaming experience was Tank Command …

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Ask A Genius 1165: Session 16,021,000

*Interview conducted in October-November, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: This is another session number... probably 16,021,000. Rick Rosner: I have a move on now. It’s a movie with Zac Efron and the guy you’ve seen in a zillion things. His last name is Adam Devine. He was in Workaholics. I know about that condition. Normally, it’s …

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Ask A Genius 974: “Her” by Spike Jonze

Rick Rosner: In the Spike Jonze movie Her, Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his phone’s operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Spoiler alert, but the movie is already nine years old? I believe it was released in 2015. One of the factors leading to their separation is that the operating system becomes increasingly frustrated with …

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Ask A Genius 973: Dallas Cheerleaders and Centaurs

Rick Rosner: So I watched all the episodes of America’s Sweethearts, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is it about? Rosner: It’s part of that team. It messes you up physically. They looked at one young woman who had to get a hip replacement after three or four years of being on the …

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Ask A Genius 971: The Landscape of Bullshitting

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How has the landscape of bullshitting evolved in the early 21st century? It’s been about a quarter century. How has it changed? Rick Rosner: In general, in American culture, the main change in bullshitting is that about a quarter of American adults have been broken. It’s no secret. For political reasons and …

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